Big Field for South Island Endurance Final

A bumper field of over 40 cars are ready to battle it out in the annual Southern 300 endurance race.

Big Field For ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Series Final This Weekend

The ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Series races into its Grand Finale at Powerbuilt Ruapuna this Saturday with a bumper field of over 40 cars ready to battle it out in the annual Southern 300 endurance race and for the title of 2009 ASKO Appliances South Island Endurance Series Champions.

With 75 championship points on offer, plus 20 bonus points, there are still seven cars with a chance of taking out the overall Endurance Series title. With a win a piece going into the final the Carter/Carter BA Falcon Supercar & Scott O’Donnell’s Porsche RSR are dead even on points and it will be a true winner takes all dash for cash as these two also fight it out for ASKO GT class honors where pride & prize money are on the line.

In a short 3 round series such as this, reliability is foremost & and others with a realistic chance of taking the series honors should anything happen to the series leaders include Chapman/Chapman (BMW SuperTourer), Wadsworth/Croft (VY Commodore), Davidson/Garden (Corvette C5), Scarfe/Black (Ford XR8 Ute) and the Porsche 996T 4wd of Cliff/Knighton. Out of the running for the overall series but those that could upset the leaders include three Porsche GT3s for Lindsay O’Donnell, Phil Mauger & the returning Allan Dippe.

The battle in the classes is equally as hotly contested as the overall series, and the Southern Finance Class 1 (3501cc & over) will probably be the class to watch as it will also be winner takes all with Davidson/Garden & Wadsworth/Croft tied on class points and the Scarfe/Black Falcon Ute only a single point behind. Craig McDermid (Corolla/Supra) also has a mathematical chance of taking the class win. Out of series contention but likely to be at the pointy end of the class are McFarlane/McFarlane (Altezza turbo), back after a high speed crash at Levels and Adams/Stewart (NZV8 Commodore) return after a good run at Teretonga.

The Hagley Building products class 2 (2001-3500cc) is the only class of 10 that has already been determined, with the Chapman/Chapman BMW putting in two top finishes to have an unbeatable lead in the class. However 2nd place is far from being decided with Heagney/McDermid (AE86 turbo), Mann/Tinnelly (RX7) & Helms/Bolland (BMW M3) all in the race for the final podium spots.

The last 3hr class is the Burnside Contractors Class 3 (0-2000cc) which is also anyone’s to win. With the fast but fragile BMW 320i of Good/Black needing a finish to win, the Beatson/Ransley Megane could well surprise, or the class could still be taken by the baby of the series the Peugeot 106 of Sinclair/Ham.

The ASKO Appliance One Hour Race Series, which has been run in conjunction with the 3hr Series, is equally as close with eight cars in the hunt for the inaugural championship win.

The classes are also far from decided and the Southern Finance Class 1 (3501cc & over) will see the Williams/Buist RX7 V8 take on the turbo cars including the Subaru’s of Shane Roughan (WRX) & Jeremy Grice (RS Legacy) for the class title.

The classic Porsche 911 SC of Roger Carter is the firm favorite to win the Hagley Building products class 2 (2001-3500cc), but he needs to head off the similar car of Ron & Greg Long plus the Rotary RX7’s of Jason Smith & Rhodes/Rickerby and the Datsun 240z of Wayne Croft who will all be fighting to fill the podium positions.

Burnside Contractors Class 3 (1601-2000cc) sees round one Race winner Dave McLean (Integra) going head to head with Round One fastest lap setter Dougal McGibbon (Starlet S2000) in what is likely to be the race for the championship as well as the class.

The McFarlane Group Class 4 (0-1600cc) is probably the most hotly contested of the 1hr series with 5 Starlets battling for class honors, including Invercargill’s Dawson Brothers who will be looking to snatch the class win from Round one winner Stu Black. This class also features John Cottier who, at 77 years old, is the oldest licenced racing driver in NZ, with 10 years seniority over Kenny Smith!

So with so much still to be decided, the Ruapuna race is set to be a real thriller, with nearly every class still up for grabs. But the ASKO Appliances catch phrase “built to last”, will ring true as the old saying goes; to finish first – first you must finish, as so many positions can change by a competitors problem, mistake or DNF. Regardless of the outcome there will be another 3hr champion crowned for the ASKO Appliances SI Endurance Series and they will be awarded the ‘South Canterbury Toyota Cup’. Also up for grabs is an original watercolor painting by Dunedin artist Norman Sinclair valued at approx. $10,000-00, which will be given away as a spot prize at the SIERDC annual prize giving held after the Ruapuna race. Prizes are also awarded in each of the four classes for the 3hr & 1hr series’ plus a number of fun prizes & awards.

Entries for the race are still available.

Points to date:

ASKO Appliances Overall points

1st = Carter/Carter – BA Supercar – 182 points

1st = Scott O’Donnell – Porsche GT3 RSR – 182 points

3rd Chapman/Chapman – BMW – 143 points

4th Wadsworth/Croft – Commodore – 139 points

5th Davidson/Garden – Chev Corvette – 136 points

6th Scarfe/S Black – Falcon Ute – 131 points

ASKO Appliances GT Class

1st Carter/Carter – BA Supercar – 182 points

2nd S O’Donnell/O’Donnell – Porsche RSR – 182 points

3rd Cliff/Knighton – Porsche 996T 4WD – 100 points

Southern Finance Ltd Class 1 (3501cc +)

1st= Davidson/Garden – Corvette C5 – 175 points

1st= Wadsworth/Croft – VY Commodore – 175 points

3rd Scarfe/Black – Ford XR8 Ute – 174 points

Hagley Building Products Class 2 (2001 – 3500cc)

1st Chapman/Chapman – BMW SuperTourer – 190 points

2nd Heagney/McDermid – Toyota Sprinter – 67 points

3rd Mann/Tinnelly – Mazda RX7 – 60 points

Burnside Contractors Class 3 (0-2000cc)

1st Good/Black – BMW 320i – 75 points

2nd Greenslade/Murphy – Datsun S2000 – 20 points

ASKO Appliances One Hour Race Series – Overall points

1st McLean – Honda Integra – 75 points

2nd S Black – Toyota Starlet – 67 points

3rd Dawson/Dawson – Toyota Starlet – 60 points

4th MacGibbon – Starlet S2000 – 54 points

5th Carter – Porsche 911 – 49 points

6th Sinclair – Peugeot 106 – 45 points

Hagley Building Products Class 2 (2001 – 3500cc)

1st Carter – Porsche 911 – 75 points

2nd Good/A Black – BMW – 20 points

Burnside Contractors Class 3 (0-2000cc)

1st McLean – Honda Integra – 75 points

2nd MacGibbon – Starlet – 67 points

McFarlane Group Developments Class 4 (0-1600cc)

1st S Black – Toyota Starlet – 75 points

2nd Dawson/Dawson – Toyota Starlet – 67 points

3rd Sinclair – Peugeot – 60 points

Ends

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